Christmas Karma
by moondancer1179
Summary: One Shot. AH. Edward is entranced by Bella and her daughter as they are all caught in the Christmas Eve rush. His kindness may come back to him, bringing him everything he's wished for. Just for fun.


He'd always despised any kind of shopping, nevermind being anywhere near the stores during the holiday rush. There were too many people, parents yelling, children crying, the shelves were in shambles and the lines were never ending. There was a time when he would have refused to run to the store for his mother, but times change. This Christmas found him back in his tiny hometown of Forks, spending the holidays with his family for the first time in years. When his mother dropped the carton of eggs on the kitchen floor, he surprised them all by volunteering to run to the store for another dozen.

He took a deep breath before heading into the chaos. The huge blue box store was the closest thing open on Christmas Eve, and it was bad on a regular day. He couldn't imagine what it would be like today. The greeter welcomed him with a dreary "Happy Holidays!" and he flashed him a smile before refusing the cart he offered. Yes, this would be the start of a new year. A better year.

His long legs carried him across the gleaming linoleum. He took a left through the produce section and headed towards the back where the dairy cases were. While trying to decide if his mother wanted the farm fresh dha-enhanced brown large eggs, or the cage free extra-large white eggs with Omega-3s, he was distracted by a mother and child standing next to him. The soft voice she used when she spoke to her daughter was so full of love, that he couldn't help but smile and eavesdrop on their conversation.

"We need eggs to make cookies for Santa." She told her daughter, who happily checked it off the list.

"And don't forget butter!" The little girl exclaimed. She could have been three or five, it was difficult to judge. Dark curls framed her cherubic face and she had big brown eyes with thick lashes. The adoration in her eyes as she looked up at her mother touched something deep within his heart.

He'd tried to salvage his marriage with Tanya for the past three years, but they were simply incompatible. Tanya only cared about status and was too busy climbing the corporate ladder to even consider starting a family. He'd always wanted children, and when it became obvious that the two of them had different goals in life, he filed for divorce. She was only upset about how this would look to her colleagues, but he couldn't find it in him to care. He moved to Seattle to be closer to his family, and decided to take some time to figure out what he wanted to do with his life.

"Mommy, I'm hungry." The little voice piped up.

"I know sweetie. As soon as we're finished here, we'll go home and I'll fix us some dinner."

"Ok, mommy."

"Would you like to sing a song?" The woman asked. He'd yet to see her face. Her hair was shiny and dark brown, as it cascaded down her back almost to her waist. She was wearing a long blue skirt, and a warm cream colored sweater. Her figure was slender and she reminded him of a dancer.

"Rudolph?" She chirped.

"Sure! Ready?" The little girl nodded. They started quietly singing Rudolph and they started to move away. The scene was so endearing that he decided to follow them. He watched as she dodged cranky shoppers, compared prices and kept her little girl entertained with endless patience, and he knew this was the type of woman he wanted as a wife and mother to his children. She was quick to help an elderly gentleman reach a box of cereal on the top shelf, even though she wasn't that tall herself. She had a smile for everyone, even when they were rude.

"Can we get the chocolate cereal?"

"Not this time Lizzy. You can get the 'O's' or Flakes."

Lizzy pursed her little rosebud lips and tapped her index finger on them as if deep in thought. It must have been quite a difficult decision considering the time she took to make a decision. "I'll have the Flakes, please." She finally chose.

The rest of the store had slipped away. He was so caught up in their little word. Every exchange between the two was loving and kind.

As they continued down the aisle, they found themselves blocked in by a handful of rude customers who were oblivious that their carts were closing off the aisle. It was then that she turned the cart around and he saw her for the first time. Then she smiled. It was the most beautiful smile he'd ever seen. The woman shared her daughter's large brown eyes and thick lashes, and even though she looked exhausted, her eyes twinkled with excitement as she continued her banter with her daughter. He surreptitiously checked out a box of cereal as they moved back down the aisle towards him. Lizzy suddenly let out a squeal which made him jump and look to see what the commotion was about.

"Tickle me again, mommy! Do it again!." She giggled. He didn't see Lizzy though, because his eyes landed on her mother, and she was looking at him. A pink blush began to creep it's way up her cheeks, and she quickly looked down, whispering an apology. He wasn't sure why she was apologizing. She was the most beautiful woman he'd ever laid eyes on, and it was as if a rubber band had snapped. Suddenly his entire world had rearranged itself and this woman, and her daughter, were the center of it.

"It's nice to see a child so happy." He murmured, desperate for any kind of contact. Her eyes flashed up to his, and a huge grin broke out on her face before she blushed an even darker shade of red and ducked her head again.

She headed towards the register with everything on her list in her cart. The lines were long and so was the wait. He stood in line behind her, trying to work up enough courage to speak to her. He thought of offering candy to the little girl, or maybe she would drop something and he could pick it up for her. Instead, he stood and waited, completely dumbstruck as to how to get this woman's attention. He'd never lacked for female companionship, even after he was married. Women flocked to him. But this woman was different. He didn't know how to approach her. He just knew he needed to know her.

"Mommy, do you think Santa will bring me a dollhouse this year?" He smiled at the vision of a sleepy-eyed Lizzy finding a big pink dollhouse under the tree.

"I'm not sure sweetie. We'll have to see what he decides to bring you." There was a note of sadness in her voice. He wondered what Santa would be leaving under the tree. He imagined what it would be like to see that excitement on a child's face again as they discovered the magic of Christmas.

Finally, the line had progressed far enough so that the woman and Lizzy were checking out. She separated out her groceries and pulled a slip of paper out of her purse, handing it to the cashier, who huffed and glared at her.

"I separated everything. My WIC items are in the front." She explained quietly, fully aware of the cashier's irritation with her. After the milk, eggs, and other essentials were taken care of, the cashier started on the rest of her groceries. That was when she noticed him, and the one carton of eggs he had been toting all over the store. Her face scrunched up and her hand flew up to cover her mouth.

"I'm so sorry, sir. If I had known you only had one item, I would have let you go ahead of me."

He couldn't help but be touched by her selflessness. "Please, don't apologize. I don't mind." She gave me a small smile and turned back to Lizzy who was busy drawing all over the list now that the shopping was done.

The cashier had finished with her second batch of items and was waiting impatiently for her to pay. She swiped the card once, entered her PIN, and waited. I could tell by the look on the cashier's face that the card had been declined and she turned back to the woman and snarled loudly. "You card was declined."

Her eyes flew wide with panic, and her entire face turned bright red. "Can...can I...try it again? I know there's plenty in there." She stammered.

When she received a curt nod and exasperated sigh, she swiped it once more and again it didn't work. Her bottom lip began to tremble and she quickly bit down on it.

"Do you have another card you can try?" The cashier barked, with no regard to this poor woman's privacy.

"No. That's all I have." She whispered. "I'm sorry." She turned her attention back to the cart to make sure she only had her WIC items in there and then quickly headed for the exits.

"Mommy, why are you crying?" He heard Lizzy ask as her tiny hand reached up towards her mother's face.

His heart broke for the woman as he watched her walk away. The cashier had already called for a manager and was waiting for them to arrive and clear out the transaction. The abandoned groceries were being loaded into an empty cart by another employee. He took it all in for a moment and realized that these groceries were supposed to be Christmas dinner for the woman and her child, and now she had nothing. Lizzy wouldn't have cookies to set out for Santa.

He pulled out his wallet and threw a hundred dollar bill at the woman. "This should cover it. Keep the change and see if you can buy an ounce of compassion." He grabbed the cart and threw the rest of the bags into it, leaving his mother's carton of eggs on the conveyor belt. She would understand.

He rushed from the store as quickly as possible with the cart, hoping he wasn't too late. Scanning the parking lot, he couldn't see her anywhere. It was a sea of cars and people, and if she was already in her vehicle, there would be no way for him to find her. Jogging across the parking lot, he looked down each lane as he passed. Just when he was about to give up, the blue fabric of her skirt caught his eye as it flapped in the wind. She was returning her cart and then he watched her walk to an ancient orange truck. Instead of getting into the truck, she leaned up against the rear gate and crumpled into herself. As he closed the distance between them, he could tell she was crying. Her head was bowed so her long hair curtained off her face from prying eyes, and her arms were wrapped tightly around her torso.

She didn't notice how close he was until he spoke. "Excuse me." He began nervously, completely unsure of how she might respond.

She sucked in a breath and wiped her eyes furiously before looking up angrily. When she saw it was him, her eyes softened, but her cheeks flamed red with embarrassment.

"Can I help you?" She asked.

"I believe you left these behind." He gestured towards the cart full of her groceries.

Her jaw dropped and she stuttered. "I...I...no...you didn't...really..." She stopped and closed her eyes, trying to collect herself. When she reopened them, they burned with fierce determination. "I can't pay you back."

"I don't expect you to." He knew this was hurting her pride and she didn't want to take charity from a stranger, so he continued in a softer voice, not giving her the opportunity to interrupt. "Look, I know you don't know me and I imagine it's hard for you to accept help from a stranger, but it's Christmas and it's the season for giving and all that." He rambled on, not sure if he was even making any sense. Shoving one hand through his unruly bronze hair, he looked her in the eye. "I saw you and your daughter in there and it reminded me of everything I was missing in my life. Let me thank you by doing this small thing for you in return."

She studied him for a while and he felt stripped bare before her soulful brown eyes. When she was finally satisfied with what she saw, she nodded and held out her hand.

"Bella."

He couldn't help the huge grin that threatened to split his face. "Edward." He gently took her hand in his and then clasped his other hand on top. They both started at the jolt of electricity that sparked between them. When he finally realized he was staring at her like and idiot and still holding onto her hand, he broke himself away from her gaze and let go of her tiny hand. "Let me get these for you." She moved out of the way while he placed the bags in the back of her truck.

"Thank you." She murmured, looking at the ground again.

"It's my pleasure." He assured her.

"There was supposed to be a deposit today that would have covered it...but..."

He quickly closed the distance between them and pressed a finger to her lips. She sucked in a breath and her eyes grew wide. "Shh. You don't have to explain anything to me." His voice was so tender and his green eyes were so kind. She felt her heart flutter at his touch and at his words.

She nodded. "I just didn't want you to think..." She started again, but he once again held his finger to her lips and chuckled.

"Shh. I don't think anything like that. I _do_ think you are a loving mother with a beautiful little girl."

She offered him a half smile. "Thank you again, Edward." A tear on her cheek glistened in the stadium lights of the parking lot and he found himself wiping it away without even thinking about what he was doing.

"You're very welcome, Bella. Thank you for opening my eyes. I hope you and Lizzy have a wonderful holiday."

"You too, Edward." Bella whispered.

With one last smile shared between them, they parted ways.

Edward arrived back at his parents' house empty handed. His mother, Esme, saw the look in his eyes and made him sit down at the table as she grabbed them each a cup of coffee. "Tell me about her."

He looked at his mother wide-eyed and wondered how she knew.

"A mother always knows." She smiled softly before taking a sip from her mug.

"There was a woman there with her daughter, and they just...in all the chaos and noise, and people yelling, and children crying...they were an island of serenity. I couldn't help but eavesdrop and the love between the two was just...amazing." He dropped his head, ashamed at how his actions had affected his family through the years. He had turned his back on them and shut them out so that he could be everything Tanya needed him to be. But in all of that, he lost what meant the most to him. His family. "It reminded me of everything I was missing out on. I want that. What Tanya and I had wasn't love, Mom." He looked into the warm green eyes that had always meant home to him, and found no judgment, only compassion.

"I know, son. I'm glad you found your way back to us and I hope you find what you're looking for. Are you going to see her again?"

He shook his head. "It's not like that. I just..her card didn't work and she had to leave her groceries there...so I paid for them...and that was it." Esme smiled at how flustered her son was, knowing that this girl had already found a place in his heart. She had faith that if it was meant to be, he would be seeing her again.

Esme simply patted his hand and then excused herself for bed, leaving her empty cup in the sink.

Edward sat at the kitchen table for some time, nursing his cold cup of coffee. He couldn't get Bella and Lizzy out of his mind. Replaying every moment that had passed between them, he couldn't remember any sign that she was married. She had a daughter, so it was possible she was with the father, whether they were married or not. A tiny part of him hoped that she was single, because he wanted a chance with her. He laughed at himself when he realized how ridiculous that sounded. He'd probably never see her again.

When he realized that his mind wouldn't quiet, Edward put his coat back on and drove back out to Port Angeles to get the eggs his mother would need tomorrow morning. The store was less crowded and he found himself browsing the toy section. Before he knew it, a pink dollhouse was in his cart, along with all the accessories they carried. As he headed towards the front to check out, a display of gloves and scarves caught his eye. The weather was bitterly cold, and he'd noticed how cold Bella's hand was. Once he found the warmest and softest pair of gloves, he added a matching hat and scarf to his cart. Edward couldn't keep the smile off his face as he checked out. He knew it was ridiculous, but should he ever cross her path again, she would know he had been thinking of her.

Edward felt like a child again on Christmas Eve. Visions danced through his head of Bella curled up on the couch beside him, sipping coffee as Lizzy opened her presents. He dreamed of the dark haired beauty dancing around their kitchen as she put together Christmas dinner, her pink cheeks dusted with flour and a cute apron clinging to her curves. His dream turned decidedly x-rated as he turned to find Bella in nothing but the apron and he took her up against the counter, his hard length sliding into her slick folds....

A pounding on the door woke him from his dream and he groaned in frustration. He'd need a shower in order to take care of the unsatisfied monster currently straining against his boxers.

"Come on Edward! Emmett's having a fit to open presents and the cinnamon rolls are done! You can sleep later!" His twin sister, Alice yelled through the door, her tiny fist still pounding against the wood. Maybe he wouldn't need the shower after all, he mused as his cock shrank from his sister's shrill voice echoing through the house.

"I'll be out in a minute!" He yelled back at her. As annoying as she was, he had missed his sister and her husband Jasper. The three of them had been best friends in high school, but in recent years they had been relegated to a phone call on holidays.

"I'll give you ten, and then I'm sending Emmett in!" She threatened.

Seven minutes later he bounded down the stairs and into a full living room. His older brother, Emmett was shoveling cinnamon rolls into his mouth as he waited impatiently for Edward to join them. His wife, Rose, scowled at him disapprovingly, though her eyes twinkled, giving away the pure adoration she had for the big oaf. He'd missed his brother's antics over the years.

"Mom! Edward's up!" Emmett yelled with his mouth full. Esme and Carlisle appeared in the doorway and their eyes shone with the joy of having their family together once again under the same roof.

Rose smiled and pushed him up off the couch. "Go ahead you overgrown child."

"Finally!" Emmett dove for the pile of presents under the tree, separating them and volunteering Edward to hand them out.

Edward found himself filled with a warmth that had been missing for many years. The smiles on their faces gave away how happy they all where that the family was finally whole again.

After the explosion of wrapping paper and presents was cleaned up, all the men gathered in the living room enjoying the Wii Emmett had gotten for Christmas. The women were in the kitchen enjoying some wine while they put together Christmas dinner. When the doorbell rang for the second time and it was obvious that the guys were too busy playing games to answer it, Alice sprinted for the front door before whoever it was decided to leave.

"Bella!" Alice cooed and tackled her friend in a hug. "Hey Lizzy! Was Santa good to you sweetie?"

The little dark haired cherub grinned and held out her new baby doll for Alice's inspection.

"Hey Alice, I just brought by some cookies for Esme. I wanted to thank her for helping out with Lizzy." She explained. "It looks like you have a house full, so I'll just leave these with you, if that's ok? I don't want to intrude."

"Nonsense! You can take them to her yourself. It's just the family." Alice herded Bella and her daughter into the house. "Mom! Bella's here!" She yelled loud enough for her voice to echo off the walls. The house fell silent immediately before a stampede of feet was heard.

"Bella!"

"Lizzy-Bear!"

Suddenly they were surrounded by people and arms and faces. Lizzy hid behind her mother, overwhelmed by the commotion. Then the mass parted and Esme held her arms out in expectation. The little girl shot out from around her mother and ran to Esme only to be enveloped in a huge hug.

"Nana, we made you some cookies." Her little voice squeaked.

"I'm sorry to just drop by, Esme, but I wanted to bring these by and wish you a Merry Christmas. I had hoped to stop by earlier in the week, but you know how things go." She rambled nervously. "We don't want to intrude, so we'll just be going. Come on, Lizzy."

Esme kept a hold of the little girl and pulled Bella into a hug, handing the container of cookies off to Rose. "Why don't you go put these in the kitchen, and make sure Emmett doesn't get into them." She gave their audience a pointed look and everyone shuffled off to give them some privacy.

"Bella, why don't you and Lizzy stay for Christmas dinner?"

"Oh, I couldn't, Esme. Your family is here and..." Bella stopped mid-sentence as she spied a familiar head full of copper hair. "Edward?" She questioned, her attention completely focused on the tall man standing behind Esme. A huge grin stretched across his face and his green eyes sparkled.

"Bella." He greeted her.

Bella's face flamed red with embarrassment and she was ready to bolt.

"You two know each other already?" Esme asked, genuinely surprised.

"Um..yeah...We kind of ran into each other last night." Bella explained, hoping that Edward wouldn't elaborate. She didn't want Esme to know Jake had flaked out on his child support again, especially at Christmas, or that she didn't even have fifty dollars to cover groceries.

Edward shot her a sheepish grin. Esme's eyes widened in understanding. She knew she was right to have faith that her son would find what he was looking for. She could see that sparkle in his eye as his entire attention was focused on the woman in front of her. Esme could almost feel the connection crackling between them.

"Well then, let me introduce you properly. Bella, this is my son Edward, Alice's twin brother. Edward, this is Bella. She's a friend of Alice's. And this, is Elizabeth, Bella's daughter and princess of the house." Esme placed a kiss on Lizzy's cheek and she giggled. "Bella is kind enough to let me babysit her sometimes." Edward nodded, taking in all the new information. He was quite shocked to see the woman of his dreams standing in his mother's house, and he hoped Esme could convince her to stay. If anyone could do it, his mother could. He could see the wheels turning already as she put one and one together. Esme knew this was the woman he was talking about last night.

"What a small world." He murmured as he grasped her hand once again, unaware of exactly how much he had missed her touch. Bella's very presence calmed him. "And it's a pleasure to meet you Princess Elizabeth." He took the little girl's hand and kissed it, adding an exaggerated bow. It earned him a shy smile from the little girl, and huge grin from her mother that took his breath away.

By now, Carlisle had been wondering what was going on in the front hall of his home and went to investigate. "Bella!" He exclaimed, pulling her into a hug. "Merry Christmas! You are going to join us for dinner aren't you?" He asked before turning his attention to Lizzy and tickling her sides to get a giggle.

"I really appreciate the invitation, Carlisle, but I really should be going. We need to get the turkey in the oven." Bella tried to decline again, but she knew as well as anyone, that when Esme set her mind to something, it was easier to just give in. It was obvious that was where Alice got it from.

"Well, our turkey is almost done, and you can save yours for another day. We have plenty to share and you know the rest of the family will beg if I ask them to." Esme always tried to feed Bella and Lizzy, knowing how hard Bella worked to make ends meet. Bella rarely accepted any help directly, but Esme had her ways. Ever since Alice brought Bella and Lizzy over for dinner that first time, they had been considered a part of the family.

"Just give in now. You know she won't accept no for an answer." Carlisle teased as he wrapped his arms around his wife and kissed her cheek. "Lizzy-Bear, would you like to stay for dinner?" He whispered loudly in her ear and she nodded. "Well then, it's all set. Come on in, Bella." Carlisle could be as devious as his wife when the situation called for it.

Carlisle and Esme headed back into the living room, leaving Bella and Edward alone for a moment.

"I had no idea you were _their_ Edward." She murmured.

"Yeah, well, I haven't exactly been around for a while. I'm surprised they still talked about me." He rubbed the back of his neck with his hand.

Bella frowned, confused. "They talk about you all the time. They love you." She assured him.

Edward nodded absently. "These are good cookies." He gestured to the half-eaten one in his hand in an effort to change the subject.

"Thank you. I just wanted to bring something by, but I wasn't able to until..." She trailed off, not wanting to bring up last night. Jake had promised he would deposit his child support earlier in the week, and as always, she believed him. Bella was sure he would follow through because it was Christmas. She had been so embarrassed when her card was declined, and felt even more foolish for trusting him. When Edward approached her with her cart full of groceries, she wished she could just hide under her truck. She had been truly mortified that a stranger had taken it upon himself to buy her groceries, when the man she spent six years with couldn't be bothered to make sure his daughter was taken care of. Edward had been so sincere though, that she couldn't refuse. There was just something about him...and those eyes...

"I'm glad you came by, and I'm even more glad you're staying." He spoke softly, and she could hear the longing in his voice. She wondered if he'd felt the same strange pull as she had. Bella had been up most of the night baking cookies because he couldn't get him out of her mind.

Edward opened his mouth to say more, but they were interrupted by Alice. "Hey, I see you've finally met my evil twin brother." She elbowed him in the side as she teased him. "I got Lizzy a few things, and I was just wondering if it was ok if I gave them to her."

"Oh Alice, you know you didn't have to do that." Bella objected.

"Oh Bella, you knew I would anyway." Alice replied.

The two of them laughed, and Edward found himself wanting to make her laugh more often, just so he could see her so happy.

"Um, Alice?" Edward interrupted. "Can I speak to you for a minute?" He gave Bella an apologetic smile.

"I need to go make sure Emmett's not loading Lizzy up on sugar anyway. He'd let her eat an entire cake to herself if he could get away with it." Bella joked as she excused herself.

Edward watched her walk away and immediately missed her presence. When he turned back around, Alice had one of those smug smiles plastered on her face and her eyes were dancing with amusement. "So when did you meet our Bella, dear brother?"

He could feel the tips of his ears burning. His sister never missed a thing. They'd always been able to tell what the other was thinking. He'd missed his twin. "Last night." He mumbled.

Alice nodded. "She's the one." She trilled in a sing-song voice.

"Alice..." He warned, knowing how she and his mother could get when they wanted to play matchmaker.

She held her hands up in supplication. "What did you need?"

"I have some things for Bella and Lizzy too." He replied sheepishly.

Alice's eyes grew impossibly wide and he winced at her predatory grin. Before she could say anything, he cut her off. "Just...don't. Ok? She'd probably think I was some creepy stalker if she knew, but I couldn't get her and Lizzy out of my mind last night, so when I went back to the store to get Mom's eggs, I picked up a few extra things."

Alice was surprised at how quickly her brother had fallen for Bella, and promised herself she would keep out of it, because this was serious. Bella was the one, and Alice wasn't going to risk interfering. "Sure, I'll just put them with the rest of the stuff and she won't know the difference."

"Thanks Alice. I owe you one." He smiled, relieved that his sister was so willing to help him out after everything he'd put his family through.

"No problem, brother. You can pay me back by being good to Bella and Lizzy." She winked and then disappeared out the front door after grabbing his keys from the side table.

_I will, dear sister. I promise._

With a grin, he headed back into the living room towards his future.


End file.
